#GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE 2021 PLUS#

Cuomo, Kosciuszko Bridges and Empire State Trail represent half a billion invested in cycling across lower New York. Cuomo Bridge, the George would form a forty mile loop, drawing cyclists from across the region. These cyclists represent a huge, captive market for tourism across the Low-Mid Hudson Valley.Ī Rutgers report stated biking and walking added $497 million to NJ’s economy in 2011.

The GWB represents their sole access to bike-able roads and green space west of the Hudson. NY City houses 800,00 adult cyclists with no recreational facilities not shared with pedestrians. Image RPA.Ī “complete” George will spur implementation of plans to connect Bergen parks with a bike grid and NYCDOT plans to expand bike access over seven Harlem River Bridges, across Bronx “transportation deserts.” GWB is sole connector for 1650-mile Tri-State Trail network. Heat map of Hudson Greenway> GWB> Route 9W. It connects the two most heavily biked roads in the country, Hudson Greenway and Route 9W and is linchpin to the 1650 mile Tri-State Trail Network. The George is the sole bike-able connector between North Jersey and NYC.

FHWA grade for this proposal in 2025 will be “A – Excellent“.

AASHTO-compliant paths insulate the PA from liability.

Increased capacity would be available as soon as 2021.

No cables intruding on bikeways allow them to be fully snowplowed.

It would maintain unobstructed views of pedestrians and runners.

This would result in four paths totaling 33.5 foot.

9′ high anti-suicide barrier. Rendering by Joseph Lertola.Ĭomplete George’s AASHTO-compliant proposal would cantilever a pair of 10 foot bikeways and safety barriers below the existing 7 foot paths which would both be reserved for pedestrians and runners.

#GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE 2021 PLUS#

Īlso see Nine Ways “Restore the George” Gets it WrongĬomplete George’s AASHTO-compliant proposal Complete George: (2) 10′ paths for cyclists plus (2) 7′ paths for peds-runners. If current levels of growth sustain, its grade will remain “F – Failing”.ADA won’t insulate the PA from liability in crashes involving cyclists.Safety barriers will obstruct views of city skylines and the Palisades.Melt-refreeze of snow accumulation will continue to restrict winter access.5-10% of pedestrians and runners will still use the bike path.Peds-runners comprise just 25% of current peak use.Unfortunately, PA’s plan won’t improve the GWB’s current level of service. Restore paths on the mile-long span to 7 foot, in compliance with ADA.

Assign one path to pedestrians-runners and another to bicyclists.Replace stairs on the North Path with ramps.The PA’s “Restore the George” plan for the paths would: Port Authority’s ADA-compliant Plan Port Authority’s Plan : (1) 7′ path for peds-runners. Remarkably, this growth has occurred on a facility with an FHWA level of service of “F – Failing“.At 521 users per hour, travel across the GWB paths well exceeds AASHTO‘s 300 user-per-hour threshold to widen the paths to 14 foot.Between 20, bike trips across NYC overall grew 12.5%, driven by expansion of its bike grid and the debut of bike share.Yet at 7 foot wide, the George has by far the narrowest path.ĭata sources: NYCDOT and PANYNJ.Also, the fastest growing at 10.4% per year between 20.For six months in 2015, NYCDOT recorded an average 3700 trips per day on weekends, making the GWB the #3 most heavily biked bridge in NYC.This will hobble the growth of cycling across the region for generations, impacting durable enhancements to tourism, public health, affordability, competitiveness, sustainability and resilience annually worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If the paths aren’t widened to comply with national standards (AASHTO), the George will become a walk-your-bikes facility. Its paths are already dangerously overcrowded at 3700 cyclists per day.

Photo by Hassan Diop.īetween 20, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey will rip out and restore the 1931-era, 7 foot paths on the George Washington Bridge as part of a $1.9 billion program to Restore the George. Complete George is two hundred organizations, communities and public officials calling on the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to widen the bikeways across the George Washington Bridge.Ĭurrent GWB Path Current GWB. (1) 7′ path for pedestrians, runners and cyclists.

George washington bridge 2021